Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-29
.ad ever encountered and the most prompt

had ever encountered and the most prompt
in their operation.
A WHOLESALE STAMPEDE OF JUMPERS.
In the flush times about a dozen years
ago. when all the cuts" big and little,
wild and tame, were being looked after
and started up, much as now, a funny thing
occurred among those who had been
jumping claims north of town on the 1st
of January. A few days after the jump
inc of a score or so Of claims on which the
required 800 worth OF work had not been
Emmett Guard concluded to 60 out into
the mountains for target practice. They
went in citizens dress to the number Of
twenty or more. Some months before
they had been shooting in the same direc-
ton and had left a target in a little flat
two or three miles from town. Their OBJ
ject was to find this target and practice up
on it; but when they had advanced some
distance into the hills they were unable TO
agree in regard to the direction in which
the little valley lay. The result was that
they broke into parties of from three to
-four men and scattered off in various di-
r%ections with their guns on their shout
ders.
About half of the thousand and one
claims out north had been Jumped and at
the time it was expected there would be
"war' in several cases, as threats Of blood
shed had been made, but nothing more
furious than %wrangling had occurred, with
dark hints OF hostilities soon to be opened.
As may be imagined, the appearance OF
the small squads of Emmets, scouting
about in various direcrlons, created great
CONSERVATION wherever they went; for, be
ing in citizens dress, they were mistaken
by every party of jumpers they approach
ed as claimants on the opposite side-the
| enemy in force-and some tall stamped
ing was done. At first the Emmett men
did not understand this running away Of
the prospectors they sighted.
An Emmett of one of the squads says he
and tour others We're tramplng along IN
n~ocently enough, some with their guns on
their shoulders and others with them III
their hands, when they saw three men at
work in an open cut some 300 yards in ad-
vance. Two men were down to the depth
| of their shoulders and were tossing the
dirt out like gophers. Suddenly they
caught sight of the party advancing with
guns. They put their heads together for
a moment, then climbing out Of their cut
pellmell, grabbed up coats, vest and din
ner pals and took to their heels over the
hills.
The soldier boys'' did not know what
to make of this tight, but presently on
rising the crest of a. little hill they saw a
fellow come out of a tunnel at the base of
an opposite hill, trundling a barrow OF
rock. He took one look at the advancing
party and ceased to trundle. He dropped
his barrow and went into the mouth of the
tunnel as a prairie dog goes into his hole.
In about ten seconds thereafter two men
emerged from the tunnel and took to their
heels up over the hill for dear life.
Light now broke in upon the minds o!
the Emmets and they saw a chance fol-
having some fun. They began scouting
for jumpers and stampeded several squads
of them. Finally, on rounding the point
of a hill, they came in full view of a party
Of four or five men. Two were digging
and the others were stopped with hands
on knees looking into the hole.
Here was a chance for the Emmett fel
lows. Word Of command was given anc
they instantly fell into line. The jumpers
heard the word given and looking up saw
an armed party within 200 yards of them
"ChargeLCharge 'em boys!" was the mex
order, and bringing down their guns the
squad advanced on them double quick.
The jumpers stared a single moment
like a herd of startled deer, then turned
tail and fled, grabbing coats and vests q
they left the hole. One long-legged fel
low outran all the rest-He fled like {
wild gazelle. He carried his coa on hi!
arm, and it is reported, as he ran, there
streamed out behind from breast poke
tail pocket OF some ot~her.pocket hundreds
of little strips of paper which fluttered ant
fell along his course among the sagebrush
Picking up some of these slips OF paper
the Emmett boys found that they wers
shares in the Cyclone 0 some sucl
mine, that had a capital stock of abou
$10,O 0,000. A short, fat man of the jump
ing party soon fell exhausted to the ground
1t would seem that he expected nothin;
less thar instant death at the hands of hi
pursuers, for SIS they approached he began
to empty his pockets, and threw into tn
air such a cloud of "Cyclone" stock, tina
like the cutie fish, he was for a time ren
dered invisible. Under this clout
he tried to escape, but was caught b
the nape of the neck and brought to til
Iground. He thenfor atime vomited stocl
from every pocket in coat, vest and panta
looms, all the while protesting tina
he had nothing to do with the jumping
It took some time to explain the joke 0
the business to the fat members of th
business to the fat member of the grea
Cyclone company, such a fright was he il
but the moment he was treasured, he rush
ed about frantically gathering up his stock
He is supposed to have not only found al
his own, but also about 100000 shares be
longing to the long-legged man, who wa
soon out out of sight-"over the hills an
, far away"